3135

Mid-19th Century

SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH DEPICTING NEPTUNE, ATTRIBUTED TO SAMUEL W. TENNEY

Tenney is also known as the "King of the Sea" artist. Coastal scene of Neptune sitting on a rocky outcropping and gazing out at an American-flagged ship wraps around the tooth. The bearded and curly-haired Neptune wears a floral crown and holds a "The King of the Sea" flag on a pole topped with a trident. Just off the rocks on which he sits is a school of three fish. Deeply inked and richly shaded.
Length 5.5".
Condition: Typically uneven base, but generally well-preserved. **Not available for international shipping.**

The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 

  • Provenance: Notes:
    Samuel W. Tenney's identity was discovered by scrimshaw historian Michael Gerstein through a tooth in the collection of Historic New England. Tenney was born in Oxford, Massachusetts and served in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. "Brandywine" and later on the whaleship "Fenelon" of New Bedford. Examples of Tenney teeth to come to market at Eldred's include Lot #623 in the November 21, 2013 auction and Lots #31 and 233 in the July 25, 2019 auction, one from the collection of Paul Vardeman and the other from the collection of Sam and Donna McDowell. A similar tooth to this one is illustrated in Wandering Whalemen and Their Art: A Collection of Scrimshaw Masterpieces by Alan Granby (Hyannis Port, Mass.:, 2021), p. 75-76, and another in Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen by E. Norman Flayderman (New Milford, Ct.: N. Flayderman & Co., Inc., 1972), p. 6, which was sold at Eldred's, July 25, 2019, Lot #2.

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We require prompt payment and removal of your purchases as stated in Paragraph 12 of the Conditions of Sale. If you plan to pick up your purchases, please call ahead and we'll make every effort to have your items ready. Our physical address is 1483 Route 6A, East Dennis, MA. Pick up of smaller items at our Mystic, CT location is also available with advance notice.
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COLLECTION OF PURCHASES: Delivery or shipping arrangements must be made within seven (7) days from the close of the auction for all purchases. All items must be removed from Eldred's facilities within fourteen (14) days of the end of the auction. All items remaining after fourteen days may be subject to a $15/per item/per day storage fee. No items will be released unless storage fees are paid in full. Items remaining over thirty (30) days from the close of the auction may be sold for the buyer's account minus auction and storage fees.

August 4, 2022 9:30 AM EDT
East Dennis, MA, US

Eldred's

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